By far the most touching of the 19th-century sights that lured so many British to Lucerne is the Lion Monument. Lukas Ahorn carved this 10m-long sculpture of a dying lion into the rock face in 1820 to commemorate Swiss soldiers who died defending King Louis XVI during the French Revolution. For Narnia fans, it often evokes Aslan at the stone table.
Lion Monument
Top choice in Lucerne
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
24.57 MILES
Gazing over the mighty Reichenbach Falls, where the cataract plunges 250m to the ground with a deafening roar, you can see how Arthur Conan Doyle thought…
0.49 MILES
You haven’t really been to Lucerne until you have strolled the creaky 14th-century Kapellbrücke, spanning the Reuss River in the Old Town. The octagonal…
24.1 MILES
This 13th-century church is renowned for its stunning stained-glass windows, designed by the Russian-Jewish master Marc Chagall (1887–1985), who executed…
21.33 MILES
Follow the crowds flowing towards this baroque edifice, the 18th-century handiwork of Caspar Moosbrugger. The interior dances with colourful frescoes,…
24.27 MILES
Zürich’s impressive fine-arts gallery boasts a rich collection of largely European art. It stretches from the Middle Ages through a mix of Old Masters to…
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0.61 MILES
Lucerne’s blockbuster cultural attraction is the Sammlung Rosengart, occupying a graceful neoclassical pile in the heart of town. It showcases the…
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29.23 MILES
This gorgeous little museum is an ensemble of art, architecture and botany, housing a cornucopia of French impressionist art in a stately home surrounded…
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0.38 MILES
For a bird’s-eye view over Lucerne’s rooftops to the glittering lake and mountains beyond, wander along the top of the old city walls that date back to…
Nearby Lucerne attractions
0.06 MILES
The Gletschergarten houses a strip of rock bearing the scars (including huge potholes) inflicted on it by the glacier that slid over it some 20 million…
0.1 MILES
Edouard Castres’ painstakingly detailed 1100-sq-metre circular painting depicting the internment of French troops in Switzerland after the Franco–Prussian…
0.35 MILES
Your entrance point for a walk along the top of the old city walls, don't forget to climb to the top of the Schirmerturm tower before you get started. It…
0.38 MILES
For a bird’s-eye view over Lucerne’s rooftops to the glittering lake and mountains beyond, wander along the top of the old city walls that date back to…
0.41 MILES
Near the western end of the old city walls' walkway, you both ascend or descend here at Zytturm, with its legendary clock. Since the late Middle Ages the…
0.43 MILES
At the western end of the old city walls walkway, the Wachturm is where you have to turn around and retrace your steps, either to descend at Zytturm or…
0.43 MILES
The medieval Old Town, with its ancient rampart walls and towers, 15th-century buildings with painted facades and two covered bridges, is fascinating…
0.49 MILES
You haven’t really been to Lucerne until you have strolled the creaky 14th-century Kapellbrücke, spanning the Reuss River in the Old Town. The octagonal…